Huskers Ready for Big Ten Battle with Badgers

Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-5, 5-3)
vs. Wisconsin Badgers (6-12, 2-6)

Wednesday, Jan. 27, 7 p.m. - Pinnacle Bank Arena (Lincoln, Neb.)
Tickets: Huskers.com / 1-800-8-BIG-RED / Doors Open: 5:30 p.m.
Radio: Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney, Jeff Griesch)

Wednesday's Stations

• KBBK 107.3 FM, Lincoln
• KXSP 590 AM, Omaha
• KRVN 880 AM, Lexington
• KWBE 1450 AM, Beatrice
• KRGI 1430 AM, Grand Island
• KSWN 93.9 FM, McCook
• KLIQ 94.5 FM, Hastings
• KNCY 1600 AM/105.5 FM, Nebraska City
• KHUB 1340 AM, Fremont
• KSID 1340 AM, Sidney
• KHAQ 98.5 FM, North Platte
• KNEB 94.1 FM, Scottsbluff
• KBRB 1400 AM, Ainsworth

Live Video: BTN Plus (Michael Dixon, Matt Rigby)
Free Live Audio: Huskers.com

Huskers Ready for Big Ten Battle With Badgers
The Nebraska women’s basketball team returns home for the third and final time in the month of January to take on Wisconsin Wednesday. Tip-off between the Big Red (14-5, 5-3) and the Badgers (6-12, 2-6) is set for 7 p.m. (central) at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Tickets are available now at Huskers.com and can be purchased in person at the Pinnacle Bank Arena Box Office beginning 90 minutes prior to Wednesday’s game. The red-hot Huskers take aim at their sixth straight conference win and eighth consecutive victory in the series with Wisconsin.

The live Husker Sports Network radio call of Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch can be heard on B107.3 FM (Lincoln), ESPN 590 AM (Omaha) and 880 AM KRVN in Lexington, for free on Huskers.com. A live premium video stream will be provided for subscribers of BTN Plus.

Nebraska is coming off its most impressive week of the year with back-to-back road wins at then-Big Ten co-leader Purdue (62-61, Jan. 20) and Michigan (93-81, Jan. 24). Forward Jessica Shepard made history at Michigan by tying her own school record with 35 points, while setting a career-high with 20 rebounds to become the first Husker ever to produce a 30-point, 20-rebound game. Shepard tied the Big Ten record by winning her eighth conference freshman-of-the-week award on Monday, while adding her second Big Ten Player-of-the-Week honor. She was the espnW and College Sports Madness National Players-of-the-Week and the USBWA National Freshman of the Week.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (14-5, 5-3 Big Ten)
32 - Jessica Shepard - 6-4 - Fr. - F - 20.9 ppg, 9.5 rpg
22 - Allie Havers - 6-5 - Jr. - C - 7.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg
4 - Kyndal Clark - 5-7 - RSr. - G - 5.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg
5 - Natalie Romeo - 5-7 - So. - G - 15.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg
33 - Rachel Theriot - 6-0 - Sr. - G - 11.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg
Off the Bench
43 - Rachel Blackburn - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 5.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg
24 - Maddie Simon - 6-2 - Fr. - G - 4.6 ppg, 1.0 rpg
31 - Anya Kalenta - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 3.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg
34 - Jasmine Cincore - 5-10 - So. - G - 3.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg
50 - Darrien Washington - 6-2 - RFr. - F - 2.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg
12 - Emily Wood - 5-5 - So. - G - 1.4 ppg, 0.8 rpg
11 - Esther Ramacieri - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 0.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
14th Season at Nebraska (276-158); 26th Season Overall (471-298)

Wisconsin Badgers (6-12 Overall, 2-6 Big Ten)
25 - Michala Johnson - 6-3 - RSr. - F - 10.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg
40 - Avyanna Young - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 7.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg
1 - Dakota Whyte - 5-8 - Sr. - G - 12.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg
4 - Nicole Bauman - 5-10 - Sr. - G - 16.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg
23 - Cayla McMorris - 6-0 - So. - G - 8.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg
Off the Bench
5 - Roichelle Marble - 5-7 - RFr. - G - 3.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg
41 - Rosanna Gambino - 6-4 - RSr. - C - 1.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg
11 - Marsha Howard - 5-10 - Fr. - F - 2.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg
22 - Tessa Cichy - 5-10 - Sr. - G - 7.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Head Coach: Bobbie Kelsey (Stanford, 1996)
Fifth Season at Wisconsin (46-89); Fifth Season Overall (46-89)

Husker Nuggets
• Nebraska is 7-0 against Wisconsin as Big Ten foes, including 3-0 in Lincoln and 1-0 at Pinnacle Bank Arena. The Huskers defeated UW, 70-63 on Feb. 15, 2014, at the arena.

• Nebraska has played three overtime games against Wisconsin in 12 all-time contests. The Huskers won the most recent overtime game, 71-70, at Wisconsin on Feb. 5, 2014. NU lost non-conference overtime games to the Badgers in 1990 and 1999 in Lincoln.

• Wisconsin Senior Associate Athletic Director for Sports Administration Terry Gawlik is the incoming chair of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Committee. She will take over those responsibilities on Sept. 1.

• Jessica Shepard earned her eighth Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award on Jan. 25, tying the Big Ten record for most awards in a season by a single player. She swept the Big Ten Player and Freshman honors for the second time on Jan. 25, while adding espnW and College Sports Madness National Player-of-the-Week honors. Shepard has added two appearances on the NCAA.com “Starting Five” (Dec. 23, Jan. 27) and is a two-time USBWA National Freshman of the Week (Dec. 22, Jan. 26).

• Shepard owns 11 20-point games on the season, including two Nebraska freshman record 35-point performances (at Michigan, Jan. 24; vs. Northern Arizona, Dec. 19), and two 29-point games (Illinois, Jan. 10; at Penn State, Jan. 13) to open Nebraska’s five-game winning streak. Over the last five games, Shepard is averaging 27.4 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 block for the most productive five-game stretch by any player in Nebraska history.

• Shepard leads the Big Ten in conference games-only with 11.6 rebounds per game, while ranking third in the league with 22.9 points per Big Ten game.

Nebraska Streaks and Milestones
• Nebraska needs one win to match the fourth-longest conference winning streak in school history. NU’s last six-game league winning streak came with nine wins in 2013-14. The Huskers also had a 10-game Big Ten winning streak in 2012-13.
• The Huskers own a seven-game winning streak against Wisconsin since joining the Big Ten.
• Jessica Shepard needs three points to become just the seventh Husker in history to score 400 points as a freshman. She needs 27 points to catch Kelsey Griffin (2005-06) at No. 5 on NU’s freshman list.
• Shepard needs 20 rebounds to become the fifth Husker freshman in history to grab 200 boards. Angie Miller (1983-84) ranks fifth all-time among NU freshmen with 199 rebounds.
• With eight double-doubles, Shepard needs one more to match the Nebraska freshman record of nine double-doubles held by Debra Powell (1981-82). Only seven previous Huskers (11 times) have ever produced 10 double-doubles in a single season.
• Rachel Theriot needs two assists to match Jina Johansen (567, 2002-05) for No. 3 on Nebraska’s career assist list. She has made 21-of-22 free throws in Big Ten play.
• Sophomore Natalie Romeo crossed the 500-point career scoring mark in Sunday’s win at Michigan. Her next assist will be the 100th of her career.
• Romeo’s next three-pointer will be her 62nd of the season and move her into a tie for 10th on Nebraska’s single-season three-point made list with Tear’a Laudermill (62, 2013-14). Romeo needs six threes to match a pair of 67 three-point seasons by Jordan Hooper (2010-11, 2011-12) in eighth on Nebraska’s season chart.
• Jasmine Cincore made her first career start on Sunday at Michigan. She is expected to play her 40th career game on Wednesday against Wisconsin. Cincore has made 18 consecutive free throws.
• Allie Havers scored the 400th point and grabbed the 300th rebound of her career in Sunday’s win at Michigan. The 6-5 junior center has started 10 straight games for the Huskers.
• Senior Kyndal Clark leads Nebraska with 28 steals this season and her next steal will be the 200th of her collegiate career. Clark has made 18 consecutive free throws.

Fast Five: Husker Quick Hitters
#33, Rachel Theriot, 6-0, Sr., G, Middleburg Heights, Ohio (11.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 6.7 apg)
• Rachel Theriot ranks ninth nationally with 6.7 assists per game. She is a Naismith Trophy, All-America, Lieberman Award, Senior CLASS Award, CoSIDA Academic All-America and WBCA Allstate Good Works Team candidate as a senior. Theriot missed Nebraska’s win at Michigan with a foot injury.
• A two-time preseason first-team All-Big Ten choice (2014, 2015), Theriot was an honorable-mention AP All-American as a sophomore in 2014, after leading the Big Red to their first Big Ten Tournament title as the MVP. She was a first-team All-Big Ten pick in 2014, and a Big Ten All-Freshman pick as a starter on Nebraska’s 2013 NCAA Sweet 16 team.
• Theriot set the Nebraska single-season record with 234 assists as a sophomore in 2013-14. Her 15 assists at California on Dec. 12 marked the second-best performance of her career and tied for the fourth-best single-game total in school history. She owns 565 in her career following her 12-assist effort at Purdue on Wednesday to move into fourth on the Nebraska career chart. She needs just two assists to catch No. 3 Jina Johansen (567, 2002-05) on the Husker career list.
• Theriot is averaging 11.8 ppg as a senior, and ranks No. 18 in career points at Nebraska with 1,236. She needs seven points to catch Brooke Schwartz (No. 17, 1,243, 1997-2000) on NU’s all-time scoring list.
• Theriot produced her seventh career double-double and second of the season with 17 points and 15 assists at Cal on Dec. 12. She also had 20 points and 11 assists in NU’s win over NC State on Dec. 3. She owns 13 career 20-point efforts and nine career double-digit assist games. Her five career games with 12 or more assists are the most by a Husker in history.

#4, Kyndal Clark, 5-7, Sr., G, Webb City, Mo. (5.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.5 spg)
• The 2014 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year as a junior, Kyndal Clark was a two-time all-conference player at Drake (2013, 2014). She was also an MVC All-Defensive choice as a sophomore in 2013, after earning a spot on the Valley All-Freshman Team in 2012. She was a member of the 2015 WBCA Allstate Good Works Team.
• Clark suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first game of her senior season at Drake (vs. South Dakota, Nov. 14, 2014). She graduated from Drake in May of 2015, after majoring in information systems.
• She produced a breakout performance with 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting from three-point range in the win over Evansville. Clark added a season-high four steals against the Purple Aces and matched that mark the next time out at California on Dec. 12. She owns four double-figure scoring efforts this season, including a season-high 22 points in NU’s win over Arkansas State on Dec. 21. She scored a personal Big Ten-best 15 points, while knocking down five first-half three-pointers at Michigan.
• She owns 76 career double-figure scoring performances, including 25 20-point games and four career 30-point efforts with a career high of 41.
• She scored 1,418 points and hit 222 three-pointers in her Drake career. She averaged 19.3 points per game and set the Missouri Valley Conference single-season record with 116 threes in 2013-14.

#5, Natalie Romeo, 5-7, So., G, Martinez, Calif. (15.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.4 spg)
• A high-energy guard who brings intensity and toughness to both ends of the court, Natalie Romeo is one of the Big Ten’s most explosive players. She produced a career-high 32 points at Penn State (Jan. 13) when she hit a school-record eight threes. Romeo opened the year with 30 points by hitting 6-of-9 threes against Arkansas Pine Bluff on Nov. 14. She has added three other 20-point games this season, including 24 points and six more threes in her return home to the Bay Area in an overtime loss at No. 22 Cal on Dec. 12. She closed non-conference play with 20 points and eight assists in a win over Arkansas State.
• Romeo ranks fifth nationally with 3.2 threes per game while leading the Huskers with 61 threes on 42.4 percent shooting (33rd nationally) from long range. Romeo ranks third among sophomores in Nebraska history with 61 and needs six more to match NU career three-point leader Jordan Hooper’s 67 as a sophomore in 2011-12.
• Romeo started Nebraska’s final 10 games of 2014-15 in place of the injured Rachel Theriot, beginning with a start against No. 5 Maryland at the XFINITY Center on Feb. 8, 2015. She managed eight points in that game. Over the final eight games of 2014-15, she led the Big Red with 15.4 points per game.
• Romeo ranks 10th in Nebraska history with 112 career three-pointers. She finished with 51 threes in 2014-15 to produce the second-highest total by a freshman in NU history, trailing only school-record holder Jordan Hooper (67, 2010-11). Romeo achieved her total despite going 3-for-9 in non-conference play while missing eight games with a foot injury, (Nov. 28-Dec. 29, 2014). She has hit six or more threes six times in 43 career games, including three in 19 games this season.
• Romeo led Nebraska by averaging 20.0 points in a pair of Big Ten Tournament games, including a season-high 26 points in a win over Illinois March 5. She tied a then-school record with seven threes against the Illini to set Nebraska’s all-time conference tournament record. She also tied the Nebraska NCAA Tournament record with five threes in a 72-69 loss to Syracuse on March 20, 2015.

#32, Jessica Shepard, 6-4, Fr., F, Fremont, Neb. (20.9 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.8 apg)
• An eight-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and two-time Big Ten Player of the Week (Dec. 21, Jan. 25), Jessica Shepard was the espnW and College Sports Madness National Player of the Week (Jan. 25). Her most recent honors came after becoming the first player in Nebraska history to produce a 30-point, 20-rebound performance at Michigan Jan. 24. She tied her own NU freshman record with 35 points against the Wolverines, while adding a career-high 20 rebounds. She had 23 points and 15 boards in the second half against the Wolverines. Shepard was the USBWA National Freshman of the Week (Dec. 22, Jan. 26) after her NU freshman-record 35-point performances (Northern Arizona, Dec. 19; at Michigan, Jan. 24). Shepard owns 11 games with 20 points, 17 double-figure scoring performances and eight double-doubles.
• Shepard is averaging 22.9 points and 11.6 rebounds in Big Ten play, including 35 points and 20 rebounds at Michigan (Jan. 24) and 29 points and 19 rebounds in a win over Illinois (Jan. 10). She also had 29 points and 10 boards at Penn State Jan. 13. She had 28 points and eight rebounds against Iowa (Dec. 31), 22 points and eight boards in the win over Rutgers (Jan. 16) and 22 points and six boards in the win at Purdue (Jan. 20).
• Shepard reached the 100-point (5 games), 200-point (11 games) and 300-point (16 games) scoring marks faster than any Husker freshman in history. She owns 397 points and needs just three points to reach 400 in her 20th career game. She leads NU in scoring (20.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.5 ppg), and both season numbers would be Husker freshman records (Debra Powell, 15.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1981-82).
• The top recruit in Nebraska history, Shepard was the No. 1 post and No. 3 overall recruit in the nation by ESPN last season. A first-team Parade All-American as a senior despite missing nearly all of her final year (ACL tear, Dec. 29, 2014), Shepard was the 2013 and 2014 Nebraska High School Player of the Year.
• Shepard averaged 12.8 points and 3.8 rebounds while helping the USA Basketball U18 Team to a 5-0 record and a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Americas Championship.

#22, Allie Havers, 6-5, Jr., C, Mattawan, Mich. (7.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.1 bpg)
• One of the tallest Nebraska women’s basketball players in history, Allie Havers is playing the best basketball of her career for the Huskers. Havers is coming off a tremendous 15-point, eight-rebound, five-assist effort at Michigan Sunday to increase her season averages to 7.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and a team-leading 1.1 blocks. Havers has started the last 10 games inside for the Huskers, replacing a then-ill/injured Rachel Blackburn in game 10 this season. Havers had a strong 10-point, eight-rebound effort at Penn State (Jan. 13) that included a then-career-high four assists. Her 26 assists this season have surpassed her previous career total (21) prior to 2015-16.
• Havers had a career-high 18 points at No. 22 Cal on Dec. 12, when she played a career-high 37 minutes off the bench. That followed on the heels of her first career double-double with 14 points while adding career bests with 12 rebounds in a win over Evansville (Dec. 8).
• Havers owns single-season career-best totals of 118 rebounds, 26 assists and 21 blocks. She ranks among the Big Ten’s top-20 rebounders with 6.2 boards per game.
• Havers, who averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game as NU’s top post off the bench in 2014-15, owns nine double-figure scoring games in her career, including five as a sophomore last season. Two of her double-figure efforts have come in the Big Ten Tournament, including a career-high 17 points in a semifinal win over No. 19 Michigan State on March 8, 2014.
• Havers was NU’s top post off the bench as a true freshman in 2013-14, averaging 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds while playing in all 33 games. She averaged just over 10 minutes per contest.

Scouting The Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin comes to Lincoln for a Wednesday night clash with the Cornhuskers carrying a 6-12 record that includes a 2-6 Big Ten mark. The Badgers have dropped four straight games after opening conference play 2-2. Wisconsin opened Big Ten play with a home win over Indiana, before dropping back-to-back road losses at Michigan State and Rutgers. The Badgers bounced back with a home win over Penn State before losing at home to Iowa and on the road at Illinois. They lost back-to-back home games to Maryland and Minnesota before traveling to Lincoln.

For the season, Wisconsin is 1-6 in true road games and has not scored more than 67 points in any of its eight games away from the Kohl Center, managing just 59.1 points per game on the road. The Badgers have scored 70 or more in seven of their 10 home games, averaging 72.2 points per game at the Kohl Center.

Senior Nicole Bauman has been a difference-maker for the Badgers this season. The 5-10 guard ranks among Big Ten leaders with 16.2 points per game, while hitting 51-of-122 threes (.418). At home, Bauman is averaging 19.6 points while hitting 32-of-69 threes (.464). On the road, she has managed 11.9 points while connecting on 19-of-53 (.358) threes.

Senior point guard Dakota Whyte has added 12.7 points and a team-best 3.9 assists, while hitting 34.8 percent (16-46) of her threes.

A third returning senior starter, 6-3 forward Michala Johnson has added 10.3 points and 6.2 rebounds, while 6-1 junior forward Avyanna Young has pitched in 7.8 points and a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game. Cayla McMorris, a 6-0 sophomore wing, has contributed 8.4 points and 3.2 rebounds to round out the Wisconsin starting five for each of the Badgers’ first eight Big Ten games.

Senior guard Tessa Cichy, who has started 35 of the 42 games she has played the past two seasons, has given the Badgers a recent boost off the bench. She played 35 minutes in Saturday’s loss to Minnesota, finishing with eight points and five rebounds. She is averaging 7.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game on the year, but missed UW’s first four Big Ten games with illness.

A fifth senior, Rosanna Gambino, has added size with her 6-4 frame at the center spot, while managing 1.1 points and 1.8 boards this year. Redshirt freshman Roichelle Marble (3.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg) and freshman Marsha Howard (2.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg) add fresh looks for the Badgers and Coach Bobbie Kelsey off the bench.

Wisconsin’s depth has given them an edge late in games, as the Badgers have outscored their opponents by 29 points this season in the fourth quarter, including a 29-16 edge against Minnesota on Saturday. However, UW has been outscored in each of the first three quarters by a combined 108 points this season.

For the year, Wisconsin is averaging 66.4 points per game, while allowing 71.1. The Badgers carry a minus-3.5 team rebounding margin, including a 6.1 deficit on the boards in Big Ten play. UW also owns a minus-0.8 in turnovers per game. The Badgers are shooting 41.3 percent from the field, 36.9 percent from three-point range and 69 percent at the free throw line.

Nebraska leads the all-time series with Wisconsin 7-5, including a 7-0 record since joining the Big Ten. The Huskers swept a pair of regular-season games from the Badgers last year, including a 70-63 win at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Feb. 15, 2015. Prior to that win, the Huskers had won three straight against UW at the Kohl Center, including last year’s 70-52 win on Jan. 22.

Three of Nebraska’s 12 all-time games against Wisconsin have gone overtime, including non-conference home losses at the Devaney Center in 1990 and 1999. The most recent overtime game came with a 71-70 Husker win at Wisconsin on Feb. 5, 2014.

Big Red Five-Game Winning Streak
During Nebraska’s current five-game Big Ten winning streak, freshman forward Jessica Shepard is averaging 27.4 points and 12.6 rebounds while hitting 58.8 percent of her shots from the field and 62.7 percent of her free throws. She is averaging 10 field goals and 7.4 free throws made per game during the stretch. She is also averaging 1.8 assists and 1.0 block in 35.2 minutes per game.

Sophomore guard Natalie Romeo has also stepped up her production, averaging 17.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steal in nearly 38 minutes per game. Romeo has hit 4.0 threes per game and shot 43.5 percent from long range.

Junior center Allie Havers also has played bigger for the Big Red, averaging 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 block in 25.8 minutes per contest.

Nebraska has outscored opponents by an average of 9.0 points per game (75.2-66.2) while posting a plus-1.8 team rebounding margin (38.6-36.8). The Huskers have overcome a 5.4 turnover per game disadvantage by shooting 50 percent from the field, including 37 percent from three-point range. The Huskers have held their five opponents to 38.1 percent shooting, including 26 percent from long range. Nebraska also has outscored the opposition by an average of 16.6-8.8 at the free throw line, committing an average of 3.4 fewer fouls per game.

Inside Shepard’s 30-Point/20-Rebound Game
Jessica Shepard made history on Sunday with the first 30-point, 20-rebound performance ever by a Husker. It came in the 1,269th game in 42 seasons of Nebraska women’s basketball.
Shepard’s 35 points scored tied her own NU freshman record and tied for the 15th-best single-game scoring total in school history.

Her 20 rebounds were the second most by a freshman in school history, trailing only 22 rebounds by Angie Miller on Dec. 7, 1983 against UMKC. Shepard’s work on the glass marked just the ninth game of 20 rebounds or more by a Husker in history, and the first since Charlie Rogers grabbed 20 boards against Drake on Dec. 2, 1999.

Shepard, who had 19 rebounds against Illinois on Jan. 10, became just the second Husker in history to produce more than one 19-rebound game in a career. She joins Nebraska all-time rebound leader Janet Smith, who had a school-record 25 against UNO on Dec. 19, 1980, 21 rebounds against South Dakota on Jan. 30, 1981, 20 against Northwestern on Dec. 28, 1980, and 19 rebounds against Drake on Feb. 13, 1982.

Huskers Improved on Offense in 2015-16
Nebraska has displayed much better offensive efficiency in 2015-16, compared with its 2014-15 squad that finished with 21 wins and a fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

This year’s crop of Huskers ranks sixth in the Big Ten with 76.5 points per game after ranking 10th in the conference last year with 67.1 points per contest. The 2016 Big Red are shooting 46.5 percent (4th, Big Ten) from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point range (3rd, Big Ten). Last year, Nebraska ranked 10th in the Big Ten by hitting just 40.7 percent of its shots, including 29.6 percent from three-point range, which ranked 12th in the conference.

Last year, Nebraska was better at the free throw line (.742), compared to this season’s 70.4 percent. However, the 2016 Huskers are hitting 74.1 percent of their free throws in Big Ten play.

Huskers Putting Up Points at Pinnacle
Nebraska is averaging 81.4 points per game at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season, including three games with 90 or more points.

The Huskers own six games with 88 or more points at home this season, the most since the Huskers did it six times in 2009-10. The first, last and only time Nebraska scored 88 or more at home seven times in a season came in 1982-83.

Nebraska is shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from three-point range at home and carry a plus-7.3 rebounding margin (44.2-36.9) and a plus-4.8 turnover margin.

Overall, the Big Red is averaging 76.5 points through 19 games this season, and NU has reached 80 points 10 times, its highest total since reaching 80 points 13 times in 2009-10. Last season, the Huskers scored 80 points just six times.

Shepard Playing Big in Big Ten
Nebraska freshman Jessica Shepard ranks fourth in the Big Ten in scoring (20.9 ppg) and third in rebounding (9.5 rpg) as the leading contender for Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year honors and a threat for first-team All-Big Ten accolades as well.

Shepard is one of only three freshmen, joining Penn State’s Teniya Page (T14th, 16.6 ppg) and Michigan’s Hallie Thome (T25th, 13.4 ppg) to rank among the conference’s top-30 scorers.

Shepard is also one of only two freshmen, joining teammate Rachel Blackburn (T16th, 6.0 rpg) to rank among the Big Ten’s top-20 rebounders. Shepard is also second in the conference with 3.5 offensive rebounds per game, and ranks fifth in the league in field goal percentage (.551).

Romeo Rockin’ from Long Range
Nebraska sophomore Natalie Romeo has developed into one of the nation’s premier three-point shooters in her second season. The 5-7 guard from Martinez, Calif., ranks second in the Big Ten with 61 threes (3.2 pg), trailing only Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell’s 64 threes (3.4 pg) in 19 games. Romeo ranks third in the Big Ten with her 42.4 percentage.

Romeo’s explosive shooting has included a school-record eight threes at Penn State (Jan. 13), which featured six first-half threes.

Her consistent shooting has pushed her to 20th in the conference in scoring at 15.3 points per game. She is tied for 16th in the Big Ten with 3.4 assists per game.

Through eight Big Ten games, Romeo leads the Big Ten with 3.6 threes per game while connecting on 44.6 percent of her three-point attempts to average 15.3 points per game.

Theriot Tops Big Ten in Assists
Nebraska point guard Rachel Theriot leads the Big Ten with 6.7 assists per game. Theriot owns 121 assists through 18 games as a senior, 12 more than she produced in 21 games during an injury-shortened junior season. Her assist total this season has come in 210 fewer minutes on the court than a year ago.

Havers Filling Right Side from Inside
One of the tallest Huskers in history at 6-5, center Allie Havers has stepped into the starting lineup and stepped up her production on the right side of the stat sheets.

Havers, a junior from Mattawan, Mich., is tied for 13th in the Big Ten with 6.2 rebounds per game, while her 1.1 blocked shots per game are tied for 12th in the conference.

Havers is also proving herself as a talented passer inside, totaling 26 assists through 19 games to surpass her total (21) from the first 65 games of her career.

Her most improvement has come in assist-to-turnover. Through her first two seasons as Nebraska’s top post off the bench, Havers totaled 21 assists and 68 turnovers. This season, Havers owns 26 assists against 26 turnovers, including 18 assists and 15 turnovers in Big Ten play.

Triple Threats: Three Things to Talk About
#11, Esther Ramacieri, 5-8, Jr., G, Repentigny, Quebec, Canada (0.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
• Esther Ramacieri made her second career start and first of the season at Penn State Jan. 13, filling in for Rachel Theriot. Ramacieri notched career highs with four rebounds and three assists in a career-high 23 minutes in the win over the Lady Lions, helping the Huskers jump to a 33-13 lead. She earned a second straight start in the win over Rutgers Jan. 16.
• Ramacieri had two points and two rebounds in two minutes against Northern Arizona on Dec. 19, in her return after missing four games with a concussion. She hit her first field goal (37th career game) in the closing minute of NU’s win over North Carolina Central on Nov. 21. She added her first Big Ten field goal with a layup against No. 14 Northwestern on Jan. 3. She added an assist and two rebounds in 10 minutes at No. 8 Maryland Jan. 7. Ramacieri appeared in 17 games in each of her first two seasons, with one career start (vs. Penn State, Jan. 15, 2015).
• Ramacieri missed much of the summer and preseason with a knee injury, but was cleared to play for the start of the 2015-16 regular season. She missed NU’s wins over NC State, Creighton and Evansville with a concussion suffered outside of competition/practice. She did not play at No. 22 California but was available. She missed the Big Ten opener against Iowa (Dec. 31) with an Achilles strain. She did not make the trip to Michigan (Jan. 24) with the Huskers because of illness.
• Ramacieri is the fourth Canadian to play for the Huskers under Coach Yori, including Chelsea Aubry (2004-07), Kaitlyn Burke (2008-12) and Harleen Sidhu (2009-12).

#12, Emily Wood, 5-5, So., G, Salina, Kan. (1.4 ppg, 0.8 rpg)
• Emily Wood is making solid, consistent and reliable contributions as a sophomore, producing 18 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and two steals in 77 minutes off the bench. She enjoyed a career night with six points on the first two three-pointers of her career while adding two rebounds, an assist and a steal in Nebraska’s win over North Florida on Nov. 16. She added a three while notching career highs of five assists, three rebounds and 23 minutes played against Evansville on Dec. 8.
• Wood played in 10 games as a freshman after walking on to the Nebraska program. She claimed Nebraska’s Teammate Award for her commitment to the Husker program in 2014-15. Wood had two points and five rebounds in 29 minutes as a freshman. In the summer of 2015, Wood started for NU on its four-game Australian Tour, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 26 minutes per game.
• Wood was a first-team Kansas Class 5A all-state selection as a senior at Salina Central High School in 2014. Wood averaged 16.0 points per game as a senior, while hitting a school-record 91 threes. She hit 42.1 percent of her threes and 86.2 percent of her free throws as a senior.

#24, Maddie Simon, 6-2, Fr., G, Lincoln, Neb. (4.6 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 1.1 apg)
• Maddie Simon was growing her game quickly as a key contributor in the Husker lineup before suffering a broken arm in a fall outside of basketball activities on Dec. 7. Her recovery went well and she returned to action at No. 8 Maryland on Jan. 7. After missing six games, Simon scored nine points off the bench as one of Nebraska’s leading scorers against the Terps. Simon produced two double-figure efforts before the injury, including 11 points and three assists in a win over Southern (Nov. 23) and 10 points and three assists against NC State (Dec. 3).
• Simon averaged 6.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist during Nebraska’s four-game summer tour of Australia in August of 2015. The 2015 Nebraska High School Player of the Year, Maddie Simon was a two-time first-team Super-State selection while leading Lincoln Pius X to the 2015 Class B state championship. She was the No. 149 player in the nation according to Blue Star and the No. 22 guard by ESPN in 2015.
• A tremendous all-around athlete, Simon won the Class A 100- and 300-meter hurdles championships at the 2015 Nebraska State Track & Field Championships. Her mother, Nicole Ali Simon, was the first female CoSIDA Academic All-American in the history of Nebraska athletics, competing for Coach Gary Pepin’s national champion Huskers in 1983 and 1984.

#31, Anya Kalenta, 6-3, Sr., F, Minsk, Belarus (3.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
• Anya Kalenta produced a strong seven-point, 14-rebound effort in a win over Northern Arizona Dec. 19. She also had career bests with three blocks and 26 minutes. She produced the fourth double-figure scoring effort of her Nebraska career and second of the season with 11 points and six rebounds in a season-high 21 minutes off the bench in NU’s win over NC State (Dec. 3). She had 10 points and eight rebounds in just 13 minutes in a win over North Florida (Nov. 16). She had eight points, eight rebounds, two assists and her first career steal against Evansville (Dec. 8). She notched career highs with four assists and three blocks against North Carolina Central (Nov. 23) when she also had seven points and six boards.
• Kalenta owns more points (68/38), rebounds (75/17), assists (7/1), blocks (7/3) and steals (4/0) than she had last season. She appeared in 12 games at Nebraska in 2014-15, competing in five of NU’s first six games before missing NU’s next nine games with a stress fracture in her foot. She also suffered a broken nose in preseason practice (Oct. 29, 2014), and battled anemia throughout the year. She established career highs with 14 points and eight rebounds in a season-opening win over Pepperdine Nov. 15, 2014.
• Kalenta earned third-team NJCAA All-America honors in 2013-14 at Vincennes University in Indiana. She transferred to Vincennes after spending her freshman season at Broward College in Florida in 2012-13. She ranked in the NJCAA’s top 25 in scoring (20.8 ppg, 13th), rebounding (10.7 rpg, 22nd) and blocked shots (2.1 bpg, 20th) in her only season with the Trailblazers at Vincennes in 2013-14.

#34, Jasmine Cincore, 5-10, So., G, Arlington, Tenn. (3.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.1 apg)
• A two-time Tennessee Class 2-AA Player of the Year (2013, 2014), Jasmine Cincore battled ankle and foot injuries to play in 20 games for the Huskers as a true freshman. She enjoyed a strong offseason and made her first career start in her 39th career game in Nebraska’s 93-81 win at Michigan Jan. 24. Cincore played a career-high 32 minutes against the Wolverines, recording eight points, three assists, a block and a steal.
• Cincore has set or tied career bests in every category, including a career-high nine points at No. 8 Maryland on Jan. 7. She had a career-high four steals while matching a career-best with three assists against North Florida on Nov. 16.
• During Nebraska’s 2015 summer tour of Australia, Cincore was NU’s second-leading scorer with 10.0 points per game, while adding 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in four games against Australian pro teams.

#43, Rachel Blackburn, 6-3, Fr., F, Leavenworth, Kan. (5.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.4 apg)
• A fiery workhorse as a freshman, Rachel Blackburn was a leader for the Big Red on the glass and on the defensive end before missing three straight games with illness. She returned to the court in a reserve role at No. 14 Northwestern, scoring four points and grabbing a pair of rebounds in 15 minutes. She played 14 minutes off the bench at No. 8 Maryland (Jan. 7). Blackburn was sidelined by illness against Northern Arizona (Dec. 19) and Arkansas State (Dec. 21), before missing the Big Ten opener against Iowa (Dec. 31) with both illness and a strained knee. She played a major role in Nebraska’s win at Purdue, producing five points, a career-high three blocks and a game-high eight rebounds in just 15 minutes. She added six points, five rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal in NU’s win at Michigan Jan. 24.
• The No. 63 player in the nation by Blue Star and No. 69 by Prospects Nation, Blackburn was ranked as the No. 17 post in the country by ESPN coming out of high school last year. She became the first Husker to take four charges in a game (vs. NC State, Dec. 3) since All-American Kelsey Griffin did it at Baylor on Jan. 17, 2010. She was directly responsible for 10 first-half defensive stops to fuel a 20-0 second-quarter run in NU’s win over NC State Dec. 3. Blackburn erupted for a career-high 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting against Evansville on Dec. 8. She added six rebounds and three assists in just 23 minutes against the Purple Aces.
• Blackburn averaged 7.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game in Nebraska’s four-game tour of Australia in August of 2015. She led the Huskers by shooting 65 percent from the field. She led Leavenworth High School to back-to-back Kansas Class 5A state titles in 2014 and 2015. She set the Leavenworth High School record with a career 67.5 field goal percentage.

#50, Darrien Washington, 6-2, RFr., F, Oakland, Calif. (2.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
• Darrien Washington produced six points, five rebounds and an assist in eight minutes off the bench in her career debut against Arkansas Pine Bluff after enjoying a strong redshirt season in 2014-15. She added three points, five rebounds and her first career steal in six productive minutes against North Florida on Nov. 16. She did not play in seven consecutive games (coach’s decision) before returning to action for one first-half minute against Northern Arizona on Dec. 19.
• Washington has totaled 12 points and 12 rebounds in just 22 minutes of action this season, including three points and two rebounds in five minutes in her Big Ten debut at No. 8 Maryland on Jan. 7.
• A first-team All-Oakland performer at Skyline High School, Washington averaged 16.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game as a senior. She scored 1,181 career points and came up just short of 1,000 career rebounds in high school. She played on the Cal Stars Elite with current Husker sophomore guard Natalie Romeo.